Oil accumulation drain means for radial engines



`April 27, 1948. c. G. A. ROSEN OIL ACCUMULATION DRAIN MEANS FOR RADIAL ENGINES Filed Feb. 7, '194'4 s sheets-sheet;

April 27, 1948. Y c. G. A. ROSEN 2,440,488

' OIL ACCUMULATION DRAIN MEANS FOR RADIAL ENGINES Filed Feb. 7, 1944 SKSheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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April. 2 7, 1948. c. G. A. Rasi-:N

OIL ACCUMULATION DRAIN MEANS FOR RADIAL ENGINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'Filed Feb.- 7, 1944 lll IIIHII mm a r 4 67,4@9 mw? l Wn wen Z 6 .ap/, a /f Q l, Q. Y B

ATTORNEX 4Patented Apr. 27, 1948 OIL ACCUMULATION DRAIN RADIAL ENGINES MEANS FOR Carl G. A. Rosen, Peoria, Ill., assignor to Caterpillar Tractor Co.,

poration of California Application February 7, 1944, serial No. 521,321 4 claims. (ci. 12a-55) My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an internalv combustion engine having inverted cylinders, such as a radial engine.

In such type of engine, a liquid such as lubricating oil is very-apt to ow from thecrankcase of the engine, when the engine is not running. into an inverted cylinder, and seep past the piston. Such liquid may accumulate between the piston crown and the cylinder head, which might result in breakage when the engine is started because the piston may strike the accumulated pool of liquid, causing transmission of extremely high pressure to both the piston and the head of the cylinder. This problem may be extremely aggravating in a compression igmtlon or Diesel engine by virtue of the relatively slight clearance which is generally provided between the crown of the piston and the piston head, to provide for the relativelyhigh compression under which a compression ignition engine generally operates.

My invention is designed to obviate this problem, and has as its objects, among others, the provision of improved mechanism enabling opening of a valve for allowing drainage of liquid from the cylinder; which may be automatically actuated to open such valve when the engine is shut oil; and which is of relatively simple and economical` construction. Other objects of my invention will become apparent from a perusal of Ithe following description thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary and partially schematic vertical sectional view, transverse to the crankshaft axis, of a form of radial internal combustion engine embodying engine valve opening mechanism of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, taken in a plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 of the control linkage embodied in the arrangement of my invention; a portion of the structure being shown in section to illustrate more clearly the construction. Portions of engine control mechanism, not shown in Fig. 1, appearlschematically in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a section taken in a plane indicated by line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken in planes indicated by line 4 4 in Fig. 1, of a portion of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a developed schematic view of the mechanism including the cam for opening the engine valve.

The engine illustrated is a radial Diesel or San Leandro, Calif., a cor- 2 compression ignition engine of the type shown and described in my assignees patent to Lloyd E. Johnson and Carl R. Maxwell, Patent No. 2,398,182, dated April 9, 1946, for Internal oombustion engine." However, it is to be understood that the arrangement of my invention may be employed in any other type of engine having an inverted cylinder in which liquid, such as lubricating oil, is apt to accumulate. With reference to Fig. 1, the engine comprises a crankcase 2 having a plurality of peripherally or circumferentially disposed cylinders 3, and heads 4 over the cylinders; the cylinders and heads being preferably of the air cooled type, having cooling iins 6. Connected to crankshaft 1 journalled in crankcase 2, is a master connecting rod 8 connected in turn to one of pistons 9 in one of the cylinders 3; auxiliary connecting rods II being connected to the remaining pistons 9.

`In the head 4 of each cylinder are located the usual axially reciprocatable spring loaded inlet valve I2 and exhaust valve I3 which control cylinder gas flow in the usual manner; the stem I4 of each of which is axially slidable in a sleeve I6. Head I1 of each of such valvesis adapted to seat against seat insert I8 in the closed position of the valve. A plurality of coil springs I9 about each valve stem I4, andabutting a spring retainer 2|, of any suitable construction, mounted on such stem, serve to urge the valve toward seated position. Opening of each valve is effected in the well-known manner by means of tappet mechanism including axially reciprocatable tappet rod 22; the inner end of which is actuated from the camshaft of the engine in the manner illustrated in the previously mentioned copending application.

The outer end of each tappet rod 22 .is connected by a ball and socket joint 23 to one end of the usual rocker arm 24 journalled for pivotal movement about a pin or shaft 25, and which has a roller 26 journalled on the end over valve stem I4 to engage the same. Each tappet rod 22 is housed in an elongated sleeve structure 21, a portion of which is illustrated in Fig. 4, and which includes adjacent parts held together adjacent cylinder head 4 by means of resilient clamping structure 28. From the preceding, it is seen that the tappet mechanism actuates each engine valve to open position; while the spring means I9 returns the valve to closed position in a well-known manner.

With respect to compression ignition engines in which the arrangement of my invention is employed, the engine is generally governor con- 3 trolled, and fuel is supplied to the engine by fuel injection pumps (not shown) which are -automatically adjusted by any suitable governor mechanism 3| indicated in Fig.l 2. The quantity of fuel which such injection pumps may supply the engine to thus control the speed of the engine is controlled by the governor in a well-known manner. as determined by the usual setting of throttle control linkage '32 connected to the governor, and including manually settable throttle control lever 33. Governor 3i is connected to the fuel injection pumps to actuate the same, by means including rod 34 pivotally connected to lever 35 havl ing adjacent one end thereof an integral arm lportion 31.

To stop or shut oif the engine while it is operating, the usual engine shutoff control mechanism is provided. Such mechanism, includes a linkage comprising pivoted lever 38 having an arm pivotaliy connected to link 4I in turn pivotally connected to pivotally mounted bellcrank 42 which is also pivotaily connected to rod 43 having a pivotal connection at 44 with bracket plate r46 -flxedly secured to a tubular rod 41 which forms part of the engine valve opening mechanism of my invention in a manner to be subsequently described. As is indicated in Fig. 2,tubular rod 41 is connected to manually manipulatable engine 'shutoff control lever 49. When shutoff control lever 49 is moved in a dlrection to move rod 41 upwardly with reference to Fig. 2, as is indicated by the direction arrow in-Fig. 2, arm 39 will engage arm 31 to shut off the engine in the manner previously described. When the shutoff control lever is moved in the opposite direction, arm 39 will be moved out of the way of arm 31 to allow the speed of the engine to be controlled by the governor in the manner previously related, as determined by the setting of throttle control lever 33. Thus, it is seen that shutoff control lever 49 has two positions; namely, the shutoff position determining shutting oif of the engine, and the engine running position at which the shutoff control lever permits functioning of the governor.

When the engine is not running, liquid, such as lubricating oil, may drain from crankcase 2 into the lowermost adjacent cylinders 3 illustrated in Fig. 1.' Such oil may seep past pistons 9 in such cylinders and accumulate between the piston crowns and the cylinder heads, and thus cause the possible damage when the engine is started after being idle for some time, as was previously related. To overcome this danger, I provide mechanism for opening one of the engine valves in each of lowermost cylinders 3, to permit drain- 4age of liquid from such cylinders, and thus obvis' axially alined with stem I4 of the associated engine valve, so as to extend in the direction of the axis of reciprocation of stem I4. On the inner end of each stem 52 is fixed a cam 55 havg '4 ing a cam face 31 extending transversely with respect to the axis oi reciprocation of the associated valve, and which is adapted to engage rocker arm roller 29. The opposite or` outer end cylinder.

58o! cam stem 52 extends beyond bushing 53 and has secured thereto a, linkage to be subsequently described, for enabling turning of the stem, and consequent turning of cam face 51. A seal 59 of suitable material, such as rubber, is provided in the periphery of bushing 53; and another seal 50 is located in an end recess in such bushing, about stem 52.

Cam face -51 has a dwell portion 6I, a ramp portion 92, and a peak or nose portion B3. When stem 52 is turned to movel nose portion 63 yadjacent rocker arm roller 26, the associated valve will be lifted. so as to cause opening of such valve, and thus allow-oil to drain froml the associated The drained oil will seep into a passage 85 below the inlet valve, and into a passage below the exhaust valve, which communicate, respectively, with the intake and exhaust manifolds (not shown). Thus, any drained oil in inlet passage 85 will beconsumed by the engine during operation thereof; and any drained oil in the exhaust passage 65' will pass out with the exhaust gases during running of the engine.

In the inactive position of cam 5'6 which obtains while the engine is running, stem 52 is so turned that dwell portion 6I is free of engagement with roller 26 in the seated position of the associated engine valve, so as not to interfere with the normal operation of such valve. This is indicated in Fig. 5, which illustrates the righthand position of roller 26 out of contact with dwell portion 8i.

So that cam 56 may have its cam face 51 in proper spaced relationship with respect to rocker arm roller 26 and valve stem It, bushing 53 is screwed in cover member 54 a predetermined extent, as determined by washer Sii of predetermined thickness, against which a perlpheraily notched flange 66 on bushing 53 is adapted to abut. Notches 61 in ange 66 enable bushing 53 to be held against rotation and thus maintained vin proper position, by means of a capscrew 38,

- metal, such as steel, to thus provide a firm base against which flange 66 of bushing 53 may be cinched.

Actuating means is provided to open automatically engine valves I2` and I3 when afterI operation of the engine, the engine is shut off by movement of fuel shutoff control lever 49 to the shutoff position. Also, such means permits these valves to assume their normal operating position when fuel shutoff control lever 49 is moved from shutoff position to open position for operation of the engine. Fixed in proper position to the end portion 58 of each cam stem '52, is an arm BI having a split hub 82 clamped to such stem portion 58, by means of a capscrew 83; the hub being secured in proper position by key 84. As can be seen more clearly from Fig. 2, arms 8| extend in opposite directions from the stem portions 58, and are valve .by the gases 'in the sion.

should one attempt to shut down a head over the cylinder,

. shutting` on the engine.

. pivotally connected by means. of a link member 88. 'Ihe direction of turning of arms 8| for lifting valves |2 and 3 is indicated by the direction arrows in Fig. 2; and in this connection, it is to be noted that one of the arms 8| is provided with a stop portion 81` adapted to engage a fixed stop lnected to the member for opening thel vane when 88 on cover member 54 for fixing the maximum A lift of the valves when they are opened. i

The left-hand arm l8| with reference to Figs. 1 Vand 2, is provided with a wing extension 89 pivotally connected to a rod member 9| extending into tubular rod 41 which is connected to shutoff control lever 49 lin the manner previously described. Rod 9| has flxed therein a cross member 92, the ends of which engage in diametrically opposite elongated slots 93 in tubular sleeve l41;

and a spring 94 about rod 41 is compressed between a spring retainer 96 held against cross I member 92, and a spring retainer 91 held against the lower end of rod 41. By this arrangement, when rod 411s moved upwardly with reference to Fig. 2, as indicated by the direction arrow, to shut oi! the engine, rod 9| will also be moved in the same direction through spring 94, to open valves I2 and I3. Closing of the valves after they have been opened, will be automatically effected in a reverse manner when the fuel shutoil' control lever 49 is moved from engine shutoil to engine operating position.

It maybe that one of the cylinders containing valves I2 and I3 might be under compression at the moment control lever 49 is moved to shut oil the engine during running thereof. f Should this occur, damage might result because of the counter-pressure which would be exerted against the cylinder under compres- However, should this condition actually exist, it will be noted that spring 94 can yield; and it will store up suillcient energy to eiIect opening ofvvalves I2 and I8 with a delayed action as soon as the pressure in the cylinder under compression, has dropped tothe point permitting opening oi the valves. Thus, the described connection in the linkage for opening the valves serves as a yieldable spring loaded actuating connection to insure that no damage will occur the engine Just at the time when one of the cylinders in question is under compression. f

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising an inverted cylinder in which liquid is apt to accumulate between a piston ciated with the cylinder, a control' member for and mechanism conin the cylinder andanengine valve assothe control member is moved to shut oil position to allow drainage of liquid from the cylinder, the mechanism including yieldable actuating means for delaying opening of the valve until compression in the cylinder is relieved should the control member be moved to shut off position when the cylinder is under compression.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder in which liquid -is apt to accumulate, a reciprocatable valve for allowing drainage of liquid from the cylinder, a control member for the engine; and mechanism for opening the valve including a cam having a cam face extending transversely with respect to the axis of reciprocation of the valve and which is mounted on a stem extending in the vdirection of such axis, and linkage connected to the control member and to the stem forturning the stem, the linkage including a spring loaded actuating connection.

3. The 'combination with a. reciprocatablev spring loaded engine cylinder valve for controlwith respect to the axis of reciproca'tion of the valve, the cam being mounted on a stem extending in the direction of such axis, a, control member, and linkage connected to the control member and tothe cam stem, the cam face having a portion' which is adapted to be free of engagement with said mechanism in the seated :position of the valve when the engine is running.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a. cylinder in which liquid is apt to accumulate, a valve for allowing drainage of such liquid, a control member for the engine, and mechanism connected to the control member for opening the valve, said mechanism including yieldable means for delaying opening of the valve until compression in the cylinder is relieved should the control member be moved to open the valve when the cylinder is under compression.

CARL G. A. ROSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille oi this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS 

